Pups & Skye's Bunny
by GreenWiggle2018
Summary: Skye finds a sick rabbit and keeps it as a pet. Rated K-plus due to a tragic moment in the story.


A.N. This story was written in memory of Cars lead singer Ric Ocasek, who passed away on September 15, 2019 of cardiovascular disease. There's a reference to him in the story. Kudos to those who can find it.

RIP Ric Ocasek

(March 23, 1944 - September 15, 2019)

* * *

**Pups & Skye's Bunny**

One day in Adventure Bay, Skye was playing in the Pup-Park when she suddenly heard a strange squeaking sound.

"What's that?" she asked.

Skye investigated the sound, and found that the source was a small rabbit.

"Aww, how cute!" she said.

However, the rabbit heard her, got scared, and darted off.

"Wait, come back!" Skye said. "I won't hurt you!"

But the rabbit didn't get too far, as it soon collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. A closer inspection revealed it to be sick.

"Oh, you poor thing." Skye said. "Don't worry, little bunny, I'll take care of you. Katie will now how to make you better."

With that, Skye picked the rabbit up, placed it on her back, and darted back to The Lookout. Once there, she took a basket, lined it with a blanket, and put the rabbit inside. The other pups noticed this and came over to her.

"Hey, Skye, watcha doing?" Rocky asked.

Skye showed the other pups the rabbit she had found.

"Aww, what a cute bunny!" said Rubble.

"I know." said Skye. "Isn't he just adorable?"

"He suwe is." said Zuma.

"But he doesn't look too good." said Marshall after feeling its forehead.

"Hey, he's right." said Chase as he did the same.

"That's why I need Katie to see him." said Skye. "She'll know what to do."

"What's going on?" asked Ryder as he came down.

Chase explained.

"Oh, my." said Ryder. "If you want, you can take him over to Katie's."

"Thanks, Ryder!" Skye said.

Skye picked the basket up in her jaws and took it over to Katie's Pet Parlor, where Katie looked over the rabbit.

"How is he?" Skye asked. "Can you help him?"

"I don't know what's wrong with him, Skye." said Katie. "But I think I'll make him some herbal tea and see if that helps."

"Alright." said Skye.

With that, Katie got to work making the tea. When she was done, she put some in a pipette and gave it to the rabbit, which soon fell asleep. Afterwards, she put it back in the basket.

"There you go, little fella." she said.

She then gave the basket to Skye and sent the latter home. Later that night, Skye was tucking the rabbit into the basket, which was set up next to her pup-house.

"Sleep tight, little bunny." Skye said.

The next morning, Skye woke up to another squeaking sound, and when she looked, she saw the rabbit.

"Oh, little bunny, you're all better!" Skye said.

Later, all the pups were playing with the rabbit.

"Say, does he have a name yet?" Chase asked.

"I don't think so." said Skye. "I never gave him one."

"I have an idea." said Rubble. "How about Ric, after Ric Ocasek from The Cars?"

"I like that name." said Skye, who looked at the rabbit. "Is "Ric" okay?"

Ric squeaked happily.

"Okay, Ric it is." said Chase.

Just then, Ryder came, along with Katie.

"Hey, Skye." said Katie. "I see your friend is feeling better."

"Yeah, he is." said Skye. "I think it was that tea."

"I think it's actually the TLC you gave it." said Ryder. "After all, I know how much you like bunnies."

"Yeah, I do." said Skye.

"Does he have a name?" asked Ryder.

"Yeah." said Skye. "His name is Ric."

"Nice name." said Ryder.

"Thanks." said Skye. "Can I keep him as a pet?"

"Hmm...I don't know." said Ryder. "I think that should be his choice."

"Ryder's right." said Rocky. "I think you should give him a chance to return to the wild and see what he thinks. Besides, he might have a family."

"Alright." said Skye.

With that, Skye, Ryder, and the rest of the PAW Patrol went to the edge of the forest.

"Alright, Ric, this is goodbye." said Skye. "You're all better now. Go on home."

With that, Ric set off. However, after only five hops, he turned around and went back to Skye.

"Well, I guess that solves that." said Ryder. "Alright, Skye, he's yours to keep."

"Yay!" cheered Skye.

Later, Skye was playing with Ric when Rocky and Rubble came up. Rubble was carrying a hutch.

"Hey guys." said Skye. "What're these?"

"It's a hutch Rocky and I built." said Rubble. "We made it out of some peach crates and chicken wire."

"I also brought some newspaper to line the bottom." said Rocky.

"Wow, thanks so much!" said Skye.

"Our pleasure." said Rubble.

Skye then opened the hutch, put the newspaper in, and put Ric inside. Ric immediately lied down in comfort.

"I think he likes it." said Rubble.

"Yup, he does." said Skye.

All of a sudden, their badges went off.

"Ryder needs us!" they chorused.

"I'll be back later, Ric, okay?" Skye said.

Ric squeaked in affirmation, and the three pups joined the others at The Lookout.

"We're all here, Ryder." said Chase. "What's the problem?"

"The Princess of Barkingburg was hosting a banquet for the Goodways when a fire broke out at Barkingburg Castle." said Ryder. "There are people trapped inside."

Ryder then swiped to Marshall's icon.

"Marshall, I need you to put the fire out." said Ryder. "You know what to do."

"I'm fired up!" said Marshall.

Ryder then swiped to Chase and Rubble's icons.

"Chase and Rubble, I need you to help find the people who are trapped inside the castle and get them to safety." said Ryder.

"Chase is on the case!" said Chase.

"Rubble on the double!" said Rubble.

"Everyone else, I need you to help Marshall put the fire out." said Ryder.

"Yes, sir!" the rest of the pups said.

"Good. PAW Patrol is on a roll!" said Ryder.

With that, they boarded the Air Patroller and set off for Barkingburg. When they arrived, they got to work, and soon, the fire was out. Afterwards, they all came home, and Skye went over to Ric's hutch.

"Ric, I'm back!" she said.

But when she looked at the hutch, she discovered it was empty. She immediately grew concerned.

"Ric?" she asked. "Where are you?"

She then began looking around for her rabbit friend.

"Ric?" she asked again. "Ric?"

Skye continued looking for Ric, but couldn't find him, and began to feel worried.

"Oh, Ric, where can you be?" she asked out loud.

"Skye?" a voice asked.

It was Chase.

"Oh, hey, Chase." said Skye. "Have you seen Ric? He's missing."

"Yeah, about that." said Chase. "When we landed, we found Katie waiting for us. She says that Ric somehow escaped from that hutch Rubble and Rocky made, and he wandered into the road and got hit by a car."

Skye was shocked.

"Oh no!" She cried. "Is he okay?!"

"We don't know." said Chase. "Ryder asked me to look for you and tell you to come with us to Katie's Pet Parlor."

"Okay." said Skye.

With that, the two pups went to the Pet Parlor and found Ryder and the other pups waiting, all of them having worried expressions.

"I really hope Ric's okay." Rubble said.

"Me too, Rubble." said Skye.

"As do I, since I know how much you love him." said Ryder.

Just then, Katie came out.

"How's he doing, Katie?" Skye asked.

Katie sighed.

"I'm very sorry, guys." said Katie. "I did everything I could, but I'm afraid he didn't make it. In other words...he...he's dead..."

Needless to say, the pups, especially Skye, were horrified.

"Dead?!" Skye asked. "No, he can't be!"

"I'm so sorry, Skye." said Katie.

Skye started to cry, as did Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble. Chase tried his hardest not to do the same, but he just couldn't fight it and started crying with the rest of the pups. Ryder just looked on in sympathy.

"Poor pups." Ryder said.

Later, at The Lookout, Ryder and the pups were having a funeral for Ric. Ryder had placed Ric's body in a shoe box and Rubble had used his excavator to dig a hole for the grave while Rocky had made a plaque with Ric's picture and name on it.

"I've never known you as long as I had hoped, but you will be missed, Ric." said Ryder. "Goodbye, and enjoy that big Carrot Field in The Sky."

"Thank you, Ryder." said Skye.

Later, Skye was sitting sadly in her Pup-House when Ryder came to see her.

"How're you doing, Skye?" he asked.

"Why did he have to die?" Skye asked. "Why couldn't Katie save him?"

"Skye, listen." said Ryder. "I know you're feeling sad about Ric, and it's okay to feel that way, but, you see, death is just a part of life. Every living thing must cease to exist at some point. Every tree, every bird, every insect, every animal, every human. Some day, death will come to all of us. But it's just life. Ric is still alive inside your thoughts and memories, though."

Skye then hugged Ryder.

"Thanks, Ryder." said Skye. "That really helped."

"I'm glad." said Ryder with a smile.

Just then, Ryder's Pup-Pad rang.

"Ryder here." Ryder said as he answered.

It was the Princess of Barkingburg.

"Hello, Ryder." said the Princess.

"Oh, hi, Your Majesty." said Ryder. "What can I do for you?"

"I heard about Skye." said the Princess. "I'm terribly sorry about your loss."

"It's okay, Princess." said Skye. "At least he's in a better place now."

"And as a condolence, I've sent a surprise for you by air mail." said the Princess.

Just then, a large bundle landed right in front of them.

"That must be it." said Ryder.

He opened the bundle and inside was a large stuffed rabbit. Seeing this made Skye beam.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said.

"It's my pleasure." said the Princess. "I heard how much you like bunnies, so it only seemed appropriate."

"And you thought right." said Ryder. "Well, I gotta go. It's time for me to give the pups their dinner."

"Same with me." said the Princess. "See you later."

The two then hung up, and Ryder left to get the pups' kibble. That night, Skye decided to use her new stuffed bunny as a bed, and as she slept, she felt happy to have had so many good memories about her departed rabbit friend Ric.

**The End**


End file.
